24.3.11

Yesterday was a pivotal day for me: I've been in agony for ages, a dental issue, and yesterday sat on the top of a double decker bus in the most glorious sunshine, to go back to my original private dentist and had emergency root canal. It's as if a car alarm has been going off in my head these past days, weeks, even months, and now all is peacefully quiet.

After the dentist, I was walking through the park with my husband, one side of my face totally numb, and the sun was out and the flowers up and it was like heaven on earth. It was only last night when I heard that Elizabeth Taylor died, aged 79. And I wanted to pay homage to one of the great Dames of our cinema history. I can't think of any actress or celebrity today (can you?) who has the scale or power or range of stardom that she did in her day. Looking through photos available to the public (this one is by Richard Avedon: I tinted the black and white contact sheet: the red marks is his), and I realised the range of her style: hair styles changed, make up, clothes, but she was always stunning, otherworldly, with her pale skin and jet black hair and luminescent lavender grey-green eyes.

But the first thought that went through my head when I heard she died was: now she is with Richard Burton. The romantic in me loves the idea that while they could not live together, they were the love of each others' lives. In the future, when we hear thunderbolts and see lightening in the night's sky, I'd like to think it will be Dick and Liz, passionately fighting and even more passionately making up.

Thank you Jill. I follow several fashion blogs in addition to yours and was feeling quite upset that not a one paid homage to the great Dame Elizabeth. The tremendous loss of such a shining star can certainly not go unmentioned.I love the picture you chose (this is one I've never seen before). So stunning. Heavens, she was fantastic. I'm looking forward to watching all of her movies On Demand in the upcoming days, as well as TCMs marathon tribute on April 10.God speed Elizabeth. -LeahB

This is great Jill! There is nobody around today with the stardom that Elizabeth had. I was listening to two ladies on the tube having the exact same conversation, they thought that Angelina Jolie might have a bit of what she had, maybe she'll grow up to be more iconic.I don't think anyone has that quality or as much talent these days. She was a shining star!

what is roadtrip23?

RoadTrip23 is the natural evolution from StreetStyle London, which is still here, and has been since 2009. Because there's more to the world than fashion, and there's more to the world than London. Lovely as London is.

I'll still be posting street style, if something really grabs me, but have expanded into other areas of interest, primarily travel, the arts, culture. Whatever I feel is beautiful or interesting: either man made, or a natural wonder.

published in:

who am i

I am an exNYer, married to an Englishman, residing in London. I am first and always an artist. I'm also a writer and photographer: all the words, ideas, and images shown here are my own, unless specified. I also an art director and screenwriter: I've written feature films, adapted someone else's novel, and been in development for a tv series. At the moment, I am adapting my novel to a screenplay. I am not a Blogger. I am a Human Being.